Play pen



Oct. 16, 1951 B. C. SCHIN DLER PLAY PEN 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Dec. 13, 1946 Oct- 15, 1951 B. c. scHlNDLER 2,571,297

PLAY PEN Filed Deo. 13, 194e 2 sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 16, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE y PLAY PEN Bernard C; Schindler, Burlingame, Calif.

Application December 13, 1946, Serial No. 716,012

s claims. (c1. 5 99) 1 This invention relates to play pens for children.

An object of the invention. is to provide a play pen which, when not in use, may be folded into a very small space.

Another object of the invention is to provide a play pen which, when folded, may be quickly and easily opened out for use without any complications.

Still another object of the invention is to pro' vide a folding play pen which may be used as a crib as well as a play pen, and which has a drop side to facilitate putting a baby into it when it isV used on a bed or table.

Other and further objects of the invention will e,

become apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and in which Figure 1 is a plan viewy of my improved play D911,

Figure 2 is a front elevation ot the play pen shown in Figure 1, n

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the play pen as seen from the left side of Figure l, but with the drop side down,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view in sectional elev ation taken on line 4 4- of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary detail elevation showing one of the pivotal or hinged supports of the door of the pen, and

Figure 6 is a side view of the play pen folded up;-

Reference is now had to the drawings, in which like reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views. As shown, there are left and right side panels 2 and 4, rear panels 6 and 8, front panelsk I8 and I2, and left and right floor panels I4 and I6. The left and right side panelsv 2 and 4 each have a top rail I8 and a bottom rail suitably interconnected by a plurality of vertical spaced rods or balusters 22, each of which is received at its ends in corresponding apertures or recesses formed in the top and bottom rails, secured therein by means of glue or other fastening means. Rails I8 and 28 are also connected by upright front rails 23.

The rear panels 6 and 8 have top rails 24 and 26 respectively, and bottom rails 28, the top and bottom rails being interconnected by a plurality of vertical spaced rods or balusters 32, each of which is received at its ends and secured in corresponding apertures or recesses formed in the top and bottom rails.

The front panels I0 and l2 have top rails 34 and 36 respectively, and bottom rails 60 and 62 respectively. However, unlike the construction of the rear panels 6 and 8, the front panels are '2- each also divided horizontally to Yform drop panels 42 and 44 andv stationaryr lower front panel halves 46 and 48. Asbest seen in Figure 2, each drop panel is composed of an upper front rail 34 or 36, an intermediate horizontal rail 50, and upright spaced rods or balusters 52 secured at their upper and lower ends in matching re-` cesses formed in the upper rails and theinterme-i diate rails as shown. v Y l Each intermediate rail 58 is hinged at 52 and 54 to the other intermediate rails 56 which form the intermediate upper rails of the stationary lower front panel halves 46 and 48, the rails 56 being secured to the upper ends of spaced. rods or balusters 58 which are secu-redat their lower ends to the bottom rails 68 and 62 respectively. Hook and eye catches on rails 2, 4, y34 and 36 are located at 64 and 66 serve to hold the drop panels in their closed upper positions shown in Figures l and 2 when desired, the locking bolt 98 serving to hold the abutting ends of the front top rails 34 andv 36 together. When itis desired to. lower the left drop. panel 42k itis only necessary to open the bolt 98 and unhook the catch 64, and to lower the remaining drop panel 44 it is only then necessary to unhook the right handcatch 66, thus making it easier to reach into the play pen, and to place a, baby therein when itis used as a crib.y

The rear panels 6 and 8 are joined-together at their top and bottom rails by means of hinges 68. Left side panel 2 is joinedl to the leftl rear pa-nel by hinges 'I0 connecting respectively the abutting top: andbottom rails of the panels,- and right side panel 4 is joinedv to the right rear panel by hinges 'l2 connectingY respectively the abutting top and bottom rails. of the panels as shown in Figure. 1i

The left side panel .2-v is joined to the left front lower panel half 46 by means of hinges 14. The right side panel 4 is similarly joined to the right front lower panel half 48 by means of hinges 16. A right floor panel I6 is secured at its right edge 'I8 to the lower rail of the right hand side panel 4 by means of hinges 80, and the left floor panel I4 is secured at its left edge 82 to the lower rail of the left hand side panel 2 by means of hinges 84. As seen in Figure 1, the left floor panel I4 is slightly longer than the right oor panel I6, so the line of demarcation 86 is to the right of hinges 68.

As shown in Figure 1, screw eyes 88 and 89 extend horizontally ouiJ of the bottom rails of the rear panels 6 and 8 respectively for the reception of downwardly projecting screws 90 and 9I secured to the floor panels I4 and I6 respectively, adjacent the abutting edges of the latter named panels. Likewise, screw eyes 92 and 94 extend horizontally out of the bottom rails 60 and 62 of the stationary lower front panel halves 46 and 48 of the front panels I0 and I2 for the reception of downwardly projecting screws 96 and 91 secured to the floor panels I4 and I6 respectively, adjacent the abutting edges of the latter panels. seen that screws 96 and 91 are xedly secured to the floor panels I4 and I6 by means of nuts 98 and 99, and that the screw eyes 92 and 94 bear against the under face of the nuts 98 and 99, thereby affording rigid supports for the abutting edges of the floor panels I4 and I6.

As illustrated in Figure 6, the whole play pen' folds like an accordion. This is possible because the hinges I4 and "I6 are set out far enough to allow the front panels as shown in Figure 1 to yswing or pivot to make right angles with side panels 2 and 4, and yet fold back against the side panels when in folded position. As shown in Figure 6, the floor panel I4 folds up on hinges 84 so it comes between panels 2 and 6, and the floor panel I6 folds up on hinges 80 so it comes between panels 4 and 8, the whole play pen, when thus folded, occupying only a very limited amount of space. Y

Although I have described a preferred embodiment of my invention in specific terms, it is to be understood that various changes may be made in size,'shape, materials and arrangement without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Iclaim:

1. A play pen comprising a pair of spaced parallel side panels having lower rails, a rear wall having a lower rail hinged at its ends to the rear ends of said side panels, a front wall having As shown in Figure 4, it will be l a lower rail hinged at its ends to the front ends of said side panels, la pair of floor panels hinged at their outer edges to the lower rails of said side panels and supported at their abutting edges on the lower rails of said front and rear walls, said rear wall being divided vertically intermediate itsV ends into two rearlwall panels hinged together so as to be foldable against each other. Said front wall being divided vertically intermediate its ends into two front lwall panels adapted to be joined together so as to be separable for being folded outwardly against the outer surfaces of said side panels, said floor panels being foldable upwards against the inner surfaces of said side panels and the said side panels being foldable inwardly against the inner surfaces of said rear wall panels, whereby when folded said play pen forms a compact assembly, said front wall panels being each divided horizontally to form individual upper drop panels arranged to pivot about a horizontal axis for movement to and from raised and dropped positions, separate means for locking each drop panel in said raised position whereby each drop panel at times may be dropped and raised separately. and means for releasably connecting said drop panels together whereby at times said drop panels may be droppedand raised as a unit.

2. In a folding play pen, including a pair of side walls having front edges, the improvement comprising a front wall consisting of a pair of panels, each of said panels being formed of a lower panel and an upper drop panel hingedly connected together on a horizontal axis, hinge means hingedly connecting said lower panels to said front edges of said side walls, locking means releasably connecting said drop panels to said front edges of said side Walls whereby at times said drop panels may be dropped and raised separately, and means for releasably connecting said drop panels together in end-to-end relation whereby at times said drop panels may be dropped and raised as a unit. l

3. In a folding play pen including a pair of sidewalls, a front wall extending across one end of said side walls, said front wall comprising a pair of panels arranged in end to end confronting relation with respect to each other, each of said panels including a lower panel and an upper drop panel hingedly connected together on a horizontal axis, means connecting each of said lower panels to said one end of the adjacent one of said side walls, locking means detachably connecting each of said drop panels to said one end of the adjacent one of said side walls whereby the drop panels at times may be dropped or raised separately, and means'on the'confronting ends of said drop panels for releasably connecting said drop panels in end to end confronting relation whereby at times said drop panels may be dropped and raised as a unit.

' BERNARD C. SCHINDLER.

'REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record inthe le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

